Let me second rcc’s Link idea, because it was basically what I was going to say anyway…having just spent 4 years at UPS, I can attest to the convenience (and fun!) that a comprehensive light rail system would provide.

I’d want to run the deadbeat slum loards out of town and redevelop those eye sore apartment complexes into studios or condos that young people can afford.

The young people, along with the strength of the empty nester baby boomers, can demand and dictate a turnaround in our downtown.

It sounds droll, but I would annex Lakewood, UP, Fife, Ruston, Fircrest, and all unincorporated land as far south as 512 (if not beyond) into Tacoma proper. This would:

a) increase the Tacoma tax base by as much as 70% with a substantially smaller increase in the cost of services (new population would be above 300K), thus reducing each citizen’s individual share of the tax burden.
b) facilitate centralized planning and regional growth in terms of job centers, transportation networks, etc.
c) decrease suburban reliance on sales tax revenue (see Fircrest, Fed-Way, UP, etc) so that suburb cities (now neighborhoods) wouldn’t have to rely on building big box stores to bring in enough sales-tax revenue to avoid bankruptcy.
d) standardize regional business and building codes, thus saving businesses and developers money.
e) prevent economic and racial segregation of cities and schools.
f) and make Tacoma easily the 2nd largest city in the state, thus beating the pants of Spokane.

I’ve cribbed a lot of these arguments from David Rusk’s book “Cities Without Suburbs,” but … man, it makes a lot of sense (for Tacoma and the suburbs alike!).

Add 20,000 mixed income occupied housing units downtown Tacoma.

The largest impediment to travel between the downtown core and the waterfront is NOT I-705, it’s all those railroad tracks, and freight trains that seem to wander endlessly back & forth building cars. Shift that process to beyond dock street or Fife, since there are no longer working freight docks in the City Waterway, and construct a grand esplanade under I-705 and over the tracks to the waterfront.

I’m hearing a lot of things near the top of my list, but I’ll go ahead and add something new… I’d love to see an outdoor summer concert festival or series. Major touring acts as well as some of the more local standbys. Something to get a larger segment of the population out and about (not just those of us who dig street fairs and such for the community building elements). Not sure on the venue…I suppose the Point Defiance bowl could work, but I’m thinking maybe the tideflats could provide some good options. Aromafest 2007, anyone?

In addition to improving mass transit, I’d like to see the cobblestore streets restored. I’d also spread out the housing serving high risk populations then limit new development of this type in Tacoma until the rest of the area and state catch up to our density. I’d also double the size of the police force with most of them focusing on community policing.

A year-round Farmer’s Market is something a co-worker and I were discussing a few days ago. The Parking Garage on Pacific at 10th is such an eyesore, seems like a great and easy conversion!

I’d build new mixed use midrise buildings in all of the vacant and surface lots in the downtown core. And fill them with peepl.

Midrise: because midrise buildings (I am thinking 5 to 25 stories) and lower are appropriate to the scale of our downtown. Our blocks are too narrow for true highrises. If the gaps were filled with those, our downtown core would be a lot denser than it is now.

Maybe after that I would actually time the downtown signals and add pedestrian amenities.

Then maybe I would redevelop a couple of our “recent” projects back into useful urban space.

Every City employee, architect, and devloper should be required to memorize Christopher Alexander’s 15 Rules for Rebuilding the World

An old idea for a new fair…

Complete with pre T-Dome monorail!

I would like to see 4 things:

1. Light rail connected from Tacoma to Seattle. The current plan calls for the second phase of Sound Transit to come from the airport to the Poodle Dog in Fife. It would be a tragedy to not connect Tacoma Link to Seattle Link.

2. Raise the height restrictions in the downtown core, including the Hilltop – MLK coridoor. Great views and more “market-rate” residents will help the businesses in these areas to survive.

3. Re-do the South & North parking structures into mixed use including office, retail and parking.

4. Get the Cosmos project revived in the Dome area.

5. Build the Spire…..ooops I said 4 things. I better quit while I am ahead.

Ok…

My one thing? Since someone already took the “move the mall” idea – I think that true neighborhood-based planning and interaction with gov’t (including utilities and public safety) then funneled upward to broad city-wide issues, instead of the other way around, could make some real differences in the City. Or is that stealing the CBS idea from above? Am I totally guilty of professional bias?

Also, I know it’s broadly construed because not all city employees live here, but (and I had to look this up to make sure of the citation… because I’m not THAT crazy) but Tacoma Municipal Code 1.24.860 requires employees to live in the city at time of appointment.

28 posts. Might just be a record.

* How ‘bout bridge the gap between Point Defiance, Vashon Island and West Seattle. If you make the drive between Seattle and Tacoma easier, then the business will follow. Might piss off a few Vashoner’s but what the hell…they’d make it up in property value.

* If that’s too much to bite off, can we just fix the I-5/Hwy 16 interchange? There’s got to be a better way to reduce the choke point there.

* I like the annexation idea. I’d stay away from Federal Way though. Any deal we’d have to make with King county would not be worth it.

* How can we get some of Paul Allen’s money? He’s building some pretty cool stuff in South Lake Union. Who’s our sugar daddy?

* Tear down the dome so folk can actually see the city from the interstate and put in a Tacoma’s Best Coffee roasting plan. Until we change the percieved scent of the city, no one will take us seriously.

OK, let’s start off simple.

1) Curbs. Many of our streets just blend into sidewalks with no defined edge. Cars are often parked on sidewalks (or where sidewalks should be) and even on lawns. Nothing says ghetto like property with cars for lawn ornaments.

2) Paved alleys. Gravel sucks. It doesn’t stay in place and spinning wheels from garbage trucks make potholes everywhere.

3) Tree lined streets. Obviously you can’t park on a curbside strip if it is ladscaped with trees (partial solution to #1 above). Tree lined streets create cooling shade in the dry summer months, reduce pollution and generally create a pleasing environment.

Morgan, thanks for posting that “New Fair” map; YOU are the MAN! And that LA-ish viaduct looks frightening. Thank goodness the Java Jive down below is now on the Tacoma Register of Historic Places b/c we already almost lost it a couple years ago with I-5 widening. Great ideas; magic wands for the house. But above all I’d hate to lose those little pieces of Tacoma’s soul and become that Paul Allen-Town.

“How about something like having the people who work for the City of Tacoma have to live in the city of Tacoma?”

This is a little off topic, but a lot of City employees do in fact live in Tacoma. This issue has come up in the past too—it used to be a requirement. But speaking as someone who recently moved here, the residency requirement strikes out-of-towners as a little provincial. Which I think is one of Tacoma’s major shortcomings. You need to have folks who want to live here, not be forced to. Now, I say this as devil’s advocate. We moved here, and we like it, and we believe in living where you work if you have the economic freedom to do so.

“If that’s too much to bite off, can we just fix the I-5/Hwy 16 interchange?”

This one especially looks the most disturbing: SR 16, Nalley Valley Viaduct – Proposed Interchange

oh yes, this will be absoloute hell starting in 2008!!!

How about public transit that runs every 15 minutes for more than three bus routes? I can think of at least 6 routes right off the top of my head that could use every 15 minute runs: Bus numbers 11, 16, 51, 53, 56, 41 and 48.

I’m a big fan of simple ideas.. community businesses and events, farmers markets, etc. And I like a properly designed community-to-business-district oriented street car or similar system. If I had a way to walk a few blocks and hop onto a rail system that doesn’t screw with existing neighborhoods and infrastructure too much, ride to the local grocery store, postal office, and whatever else suits my fancy.. or connect a couple times and commute downtown from north Tacoma then I’d be in heaven.

My one personal project would be the Elks Building on Stadium Way/Broadway

The city is going to have a chance to do something with the Elks Building in December.

I’d like to see some philanthropist buy a cool old building downtown and make it home various progressive non-profits, like the successful Community Bldg. in Spokane. As Seattle rents become less and less affordable for non-profits, Tacoma should try and snatch up the main offices of regional groups and regional offices of national groups. This has been done elsewhere—e.g. Oakland is home to many Bay Area/California non-profits that can’t afford SF offices.

I’d like to cover the entire Elks building with a giant mural.

If I could do just one thing, I would invent time travel, then go back in time to turn of the 20th century America, and convince the government that just like with the railroads, auto companies should be expected to build and maintain their infrastructure, and not to be subsidized by taxes. This would dovetail into the government most definitely NOT passing the Federal Interstate bill, thereby keeping the market the prime regulator of costly and inefficient transportation (cars) vs. relatively inexpensive and efficient modes (streetcars, rail). Thus, Tacoma (along with pretty much every other city in America) would still have hundreds of miles of rail and trolley tracks, all privately-owned and able to get people about all quick like.

“Development: throw out zoning codes and require projects to seek approval from residents (via Neighborhood Councils)...”

Good Lord!

How do you think that would turn out? Should every project be subject to a vote with no standards? The implications are staggering and scary.

Maybe this is elitist, but I REALLY don’t like the idea of putting this into the hands of just anyone. Zoning and regs exist because of a couple of things—to protect general welfare of the public, and now, in modern times, to provide a sense of predictibility as folks invest in property so that a reasonable economic return is possible. In order to ensure constitutionally valid uses of private property are allowed in a town, it is important to decide what can go where (Ambler v Euclid, 1926).

Tacoma’s history of politics is not so great. I can only imagine what would happen if permits were subject to a political process.

Also, the Planning Commission does review and amend the comp plan and regulatory code on yearly basis, and anyone can file an application for that.

Lastly, I submit that Houston TX does not have zoning. ‘Nuff said.

Two things, not one, and they are minor not major.

Find a way to allow the art community to communicate better and compete less. Bring that art to the public as often as possible through easy to move art carts that can show up just about anywhere. Take a break at lunch and do a simple hours worth of creative work, then head back with a piece of jewelry, origami, a painting, candle or whatever.

Have a Xanadu theater restaurant which only appears once a month in a new location complete with meal and entertainment at an outdoor venue (when possible). One month it appears at the Tollefson, Talloffsen, Tolesfs.. at the Plaza, and the next at Wright Park or the Ruston Way waterfront.

One of my personal (and quirky) definitions of a great city is one that keeps interesting older bikes in circulation. A bike shop selling used bicycles and used bicycle parts would lower the initial investment required for folks choosing cycling as a transportation alternative. The shop would work best if it were located close to transit and to centers of student activity. If I’m not bound by economic reality, I would locate four used bike shops around the city, each catering to a particular style of biking. The staff would be friendly and patient as saints, allowing as many shop visitors as possible to become enthusiatic about bicycling in some form. Tacoma already has several bike shops that do a good job of supporting cyclists. However, the addition of a shop providing used bikes and used parts might be the key to increasing the numbers of cyclists on Tacoma’s streets.

Change Tacoma’s self-perception.

Lot’s of good ideas here, and if and when some of them come to pass…I would open a Spanish bar-cafe downtown serving tapas, wine, and beer, with a changing lunch and dinner menu.

We are moving from Portland to Tacoma soon and I agree with Mike H. about curbs. As we were looking at housing I rejected a whole area east of Point Defiance that I thought from the map would have been ideal. I realized it was a lack of curbs. There were weeds and cars too close to the sidewalks. It made an otherwise nice neighborhood look trashy.

Lots of good ideas..getting rid of the Dome so you could see downtown was a great one too. I am already tired of people in Portland dissing Tacoma because of what they see from the freeway!

from post #52

How do you think that would turn out? Should every project be subject to a vote with no standards? The implications are staggering and scary.

Crazy doesn’t mean non-controversial!
Besides, our current zoning code wasn’t implemented until the 1950’s if I remember correctly. I think we did a better job before than we are now. I’m not saying build without guidelines- just without our current zoning code. My concern is that our codes are outdated and micromanage parcel by parcel – they should provide guidelines for the type of development we want, not dictate a specific use. For example, how do we know that the condo built today won’t be used as a factory 100 years from now? (assuming the building lasts that long!)

Tacoma’s history of politics is not so great. I can only imagine what would happen if permits were subject to a political process.

We shouldn’t let our fear of Tacoma’s political past haunt Tacoma’s future. The point here is to create collaborations between developers and the community they build in. What is the fear of empowering our citizens with a say in how their neighborhoods get built? Do you really think they would do a worse job than the City Council?

Also, the Planning Commission does review and amend the comp plan and regulatory code on yearly basis, and anyone can file an application for that.

Anyone with money and the time to wait!

There are also other alternatives to our zoning code.

#65, are you suggesting a little I-933?

I would find one person to open a breakfast place that uses real eggs, organic foods and rustic breads. Look at how well Chow Foods in Seattle does. Every neighborhood in Tacoma could support such a place.

It seems like this topic comes up again and again… give me 10 investors at $10k each and I will put together a business plan and a team to make this vision a reality!